
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap. ."^Mk 
Sbeif 3M _ 




UNSTED STATES OF AMERiCA. 



AN OUTLINE 



HISTORY OF MICHIGAN 



/ 



By J. E. SCEIPPS, 




:FI^.I0E, 15 OEHSTTS 



DETROIT: 

TRIBUNE BOOK AND JOB OKFICE. 
1 873. 



>G,.-.. 



In this sketch 1 have aimed to present to the public a comprehensive 
view of the histoiy of the Peninsula State down to the present time. Sev- 
eral voluminous histories exist, but none cover the period following the 
admission of Michigan into the Union, and comparatively few, except our 
older citizens, are now conversant with the important events that were 
crowded into the next ten years, such as the bank inflation, the internal 
improvement schemes, the five million debt, and other like topics. It is 
not pretended to gi\e a complete history, nor is infallibility claimed for every 
statement, but if this little pamphlet shall elicit more perfect details of facts 
in regard to the history of the State, and secure the correction of errors of 
statement that are liable to perpetuation even in public documents, it will 
have served its purpose. Any criticisms or communications on the subject 
will be gladly I'eceived by J. E. Sckifps, at The 1 ribuue office, Detioit, 
Mich. 



v» 



iH 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 



The State of Michigan was the twenty- 
sixth member of the partnership of States, 
as regards the order of admission, and is 
the ninth in area and the thirteenth in 
population. It has an area of 56,243 
square miles, and had in 1870 a population 
of 1,184,059 souls. Its name is said to be 
derived from two words in the Chippewa 
language, MUchaw, signifying great, and 
Sigiegan, a lake, hence Michigan or Great 
Lake, a name originally applied to lakes 
Huron and Michigan, which were formerly 
regarded as one lake, and from which the 
peninsula they surround derives its name. 

THE ABOIIIGINES. 

The earliest inhabitants of the peninsu- 
las, constituting the present State of Mich- 
igan, of which we have any knowledge, 
were the Chippewa or Ojibway tribe of 
Indians, a branch of the Algonquin family 
which overspread so large a portion of the 
northern part of the United States and 
Canada. In the southern portion of this 
territory, however, were found scattered 
tribes of Ilurons or Wyandots, Mlamis, 
Ottawas, Winnebagoes, Pottawattamies, 
Foxes and other tribes, generally living in 
peaceful contiguity. 

EAKLY EXPLORERS. 

The earliest French explorers are be- 
lieved to have visited this region as long 
ago as IGIO. In 1633 Father Sagard made 
a partial exploration of lake Huron. In 
1073 Father Marquette and Joliet sailed 
through the straits of Mackinac on their 
way to discover the Mississippi. They were 
followed six years later by Robert de la 
Salle, who built and navigated the first ves- 
sel that ever floated on the northwestern 
lakes — the Griffln. La Salle circumnavi- 



gated the lower peninsula of Michigan, 
struck across to the Mississippi, and sailing 
down that river was the first white dis- 
coverer of its mouth. 

FRENCH SETTLEMENTS. 

The earliest white settlements in Michi- 
gan appear to have been made soon 
after the middle of the 17th century, 
and to have been located at Mackinac and 
Sault de Ste. Marie. Detroit was not set- 
tled till 1701, in which year a French 
colony was located at this point by De la 
Motte Cadilac, who erected here a stockade 
which he named Fort Ponchartrain. 

The character of these early settlements 
was three-fold : military, as supporting the 
French claims to sovereignty ; speculative, 
as depots for the tur trade carried on with 
the neighboring Indians; and missionary^ 
being the points from which the Jesuit 
fathers extended their efforts for tho 
conversion of the aborgines to Christian- 
ity. Agriculture was but little attended 
to, nor was the settling up and improve- 
ment of the country at all a matter of con- 
sideration with the founders of these sev- 
eral colonies. 

This was the situation of matters in this 
region in 1760, when, by the fall of Quebec, 
the Canadas and all the French posses- 
sions in the Northwest fell into the hands 
of Great Britain. 

THE PONTIAC CONSPIRACY. 

The Indians, who had always been firm 
friends and allies of the French, ill-relished 
the change of sovereignty, and "at once pro- 
jected the entire overthrow of white domi- 
nation throughout the West. At a certain 
designated date, a general massacre of the 
whites was to take place at each of the 



HISTOBT OF MICHIGAN. 



infant settlements. Pontiac, the leading 
spirit in the movement, himself undertook 
the extirpation of the settlers "at Detroit, 
but by the timely betrayal of his secret 
that post was saved, tliough a siege of 
11 months followed, daring the con- 
tinuance of which several battles were 
fought and much suffering endured. In 
this coup (Tetat, known as the Pontiac 
Conspiracy, 13 different posts were at- 
tacked, and all fell into the hands of the 
savages but three, Detroit, Pittsburgh and 
Niagara, fearful massacres resulting in 
each case. 

MICniGAN UNDER AilERICAN GOVERNMENT. 

This region was but little affected by the 
war of the revolution, its chief conncc. 
tion with which growing out of its bciag 
made a base of Indian hostilities against 
the western frontiers of the revolted prov- 
inces. After the treaty of peace, notwith- 
standing that the whole of Michigan was 
by the terms of the treaty surrendered to 
the Americans, it was 13 years before the 
military post? were given up by the Brit- 
ish, being held avowedly as security for 
the payment ot certain claims owing by 
American to British mtrchauts at the out- 
break of the war. Iq June 1796, Detroit 
was finally taken possession of by the 
American government, and with the 
whole of Michigan incorporated into the 
Northwestern Territory which then em- 
braced everything north of the Ohio 
river. 

In 1802 Ohio was admitted as a Slate 
into the Union, and tijc remainder of the 
Territory was reorganized as the Territory 
of Indiana. In 180j this was again sub- 
divided and the Territory of Michigan 
formed. Detroit was the seat of govern- 
ment, and Gen. William Hull was appoint- 
ed by President Jeftjrsou the first Govern- 
or, la the same year, June 11th, Detroit 
was entirely consumed by fire, and two 
years later the present city was laid out. 
In 1805 the only territory to which the 
Indian title had been extinguished was a 
strip six miles wide along the west bank 
of the Detroit river from lake St. Clair to 
the river Raisin, the islands of Mackinac 
and Bois Blanc, and a tract six miles long 



by three deep on the shore of lake Huron 
north of Mackinac. In 1807 Gen. Hull 
negotiated a cession to the Unitfd States 
of all the lands south of a line drawn due 
Avest from White Rock in Huron county 
and north of the Maumee river, the western 
boundary being a line drawn due south 
Irom some point on Saginaw bay. In 1811 
the white population of the Territory num- 
bered 4,8G0 souls — 80 per cent of whom 
were French. 

THE WAR OP 1812. 
Then came the war of 1813. The dec- 
laration was made by Congress, June 18th. 
Gen. Hull was at the time absent in Ohio, 
but upon receiving the news hastened to 
his post. July 13th, he crossed with the 
forces at his command into Canada, but 
surrounded as he was with hostile 
Indians, and uncertain as to what support 
he would receive in prosecuting the inva- 
sion, he became a prey to indecision, re- 
mained inactive till August 9th, and then 
recrossed to Detroit. Meanwhile the Brit- 
ish forces under Gen. Brock, had hastened 
to repel the invasion, and on the 15lh, 
arrived at Sandwich. The surrender of 
Detroit was demanded and refused; a 
short cannonading followed, and on the 
IGth Gen. Brock crossed to the American 
side. A negotiation now took place which 
ended in the surrender of the fort, to tlie 
great indignation of the Americans both 
on the spot and throughout the country. 
Hull seems to have been actuated by tears 
of a general Indian massacre should resist- 
ance be attempted and fail, and, as his 
fi lends claim, chose rather to sacrifice his 
own reputation than expose his troops ti 
an unequal combat and the defenceless in- 
habitants to the certain horrori of a defeat. 
An attempt to recover Detroit, or at least 
protect the American settlements iu Mon- 
roe county, was made by Gen. Harrison, 
who sent Gen. Winchester into Michigan, 
with 1,000 men.* lie reached Frenchtown, 
on the river Raisin, January 19, 1813, 
when he was attacked on the 23d by a 
force of 3,000 British and Indians under 
Gen. Proctor. After a brave resistance 
Gen Winchester was made prisoner, and 
soon after, the entire detachment surren- 



HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 



dered, upon express condition, however, of 
protection from the Indians. Disregarding 
this guaranty. Gen. Proctor immediately 
withdrew with his white troops to Maiden, 
whereupon, all restraint being removed, an 
indiscriminate massacre of the prisoners 
took place. This atfair is known as the 
battle of the Raisin, and it would seem 
fully to justify Gen. Hull's policy hix 
months before. 

The victory of Com. Perry on lake Erie, 
Sept. 10th, followed immediately by the ad- 
vance of Gen. Harrison into Canada and 
the battle of the Thames (Oct 5), where the 
British forces under Gea. Brock were de- 
feated, and the famous Indian warrior 
Tecumseh was killed, resulted in the re- 
covery of Detroit, though Mackiaac 
remained in the hands of the enemy till 
the conclusion of peace, Dec. 24, 1814. 

MICHIGAN AS A TERRITORY. 

In October, 1818, Gen. Lewis Cass was ap- 
pointed Governor of the Territory of Mich- 
igan, an ofHce he continued to hold till his 
appointment as Secretary of War in Gen. 
Jackson's cabinet in 1831. Octobers, 1814^ 
William Woodbridge was appointed Secre- 
tary of the Territory, which office he 
held almost continuously for 14 years. 
The first government laud surveys were 
made in 1816, and in 1818, by proclamation 
of the President, these lands were brought 
into market. From this event dates the 
permanent settling up of Michigan. The 
following year the Territory was author- 
ized by Congress to send a delegate to 
that body, and in 1819 William Wood- 
bridge was elected to the position, which 
heneld lor four years. In 1818, Illinois 
being admitted as a State, Wisconsin, 
which had previously formed part of 
Illinois Territory, was annexed to Mich- 
igan. In 1818 also, was organized the 
first bank ever established in this State, 
viz., the Bank of Michigan. Its original 
capital was $100,000, but 20 years Liter 
it had increased to $350,000. 

In 1819, Sept. 24, Gov. dsi concluded 
at Saginaw a treaty with the Indians, by 
which they relinquished 0,000,000 acres 
lying in the eastern part of the State and 



extending as far north as the head of 
Thunder Bay river. 

In 1821, by a treaty made at Chicago, 
the Indian title was extinguished to all 
the remaining lands in this State soutli of 
Grand river. 

In 1820, Mr. Woodbridge was succeeded 
as delegate in Congress by Solomon Sib- 
ley, who served till 1823, when he in turn 
was succeeded by Rev. Gabriel Richard. 

Up to 1823 the government of the Ter- 
ritory had been vested wholly in the Gov- 
ernor and Judges, they collectively exer- 
cising legislative functions. In this year 
an act of Congress transferred these latter 
powers to a council of nine,appointed by the 
President from 18 persons chosen by the 
people. In 1825 the number was increas- 
ed from 9 to 13, and in 1827 the council 
was made wholly elective. 

In Governor Cass's message to the Leg- 
islative Council in 1829, he speaks of the 
Territory being ia a very prosperous con' 
dition. Immigration Was pouring in freely, 
and already the question of changing the 
territorial lor a state government was be- 
ing agitated. Eight new counties were 
this year organized, and were named by 
the Council, in honor of the President and 
his cabinet, Jackson, Calhoun, VanBuren, 
Ingham, Exton, Branch, Barry and Ber^ 
rien. 

1830 TO 1840. 

This was a:i important decade in the his- 
tory of Michigan, as embracing the era of 
wiid-cat speculation, the Black-Hawk war, 
the Toledo war, the admission of the State 
into the Union, and the so-called Patriot 
war. A census taken in June 1830 showed 
a population in the Territory of 31,098 per- 
sons, 3,G88 of whom lived in that portion 
lying west of lake Michigan. Within the 
present limits of the State there were 24 
counties, 15 of which were organized. The 
central parts of the Territory were reached 
chiefly by Indian trails, though a govern- 
ment road had been surveyed from Detroit 
to Chicago and Was partly opened. 

John Biddle had beea elected delegate 
to Congress in 1329, and in 1831 he was 
succeeded by Austin E. Wing, of Monroe, 



niSTORY OF MICHIGAN. 



■who served for one year only. Lucius 
Lyon filled the position from 1833 to 1835. 
and he was succeeded by Isaac E. Crary, 
who filled up the interveninsf time till the 
admission of Michigan as a State. 

Governor Cass being appointed Secreta- 
ry of War in 1831, he was succeeded by 
George B. Porter, of Pennsylvania, who 
served till the period of his death, July G, 
1834, when the Secretary of the Territory, 
Stevens T. Mason, became acting-Governor. 
John S. Horner, of Virginia, was soon 
after appointed Governor, but making 
himself very unpopular, his removal was 
procured, and Mason again became acting- 
Governor, continuing such until his elec- 
tion and inauguration as chief executive 
under the State constitution. 

The early part of this decade was marked 
by the rapid settling up of the southern 
and central portions of the State, a lively 
speculation in village sites, and the inaug- 
uration of several railroad enterprises. 

In 1833 occurred the Black-Hawk war, 
which, though so remote from the scene of 
hostilities, created great alarm in this State 
on account of the large number ot Indians 
still scattered through the interior and 
northern portions, the effect upon whom 
could not be foretold. Once the fighting 
population of the State was called together, 
Niles being the rendezvous, but it was then 
deemed needless to take the field, and the 
gathered forces were disbanded. 

THE TOLEDO WAR. 

This was a contest with Ohio, growing 
out of a dispute in regard to the boundary 
line between the two States. The ordi- 
nance of 1787, and early acts of Congress, 
specified an east and west line passing 
through the southern extremitj'- of lake 
Michigan as the dividing line between the 
two tiers of states into which it was 
contemplated the old Korthwestern Ter- 
ritory would ultimately be divided up. 
When Ohio came into the iJnion her con- 
stitution adopted this line as the northern 
boundary oi the State, but added the pro- 
viso that if the said line should fail to take 
in the mouth of Maumee river, that it 
should be deflected northward so as to 
strike the most northerly cape of Maumee 



bay. Of this proviso Congress took no 
notice, but on the other hand, in 1805 re- 
affirmed in the act establishing the Terri. 
tory of Michigan, the line of 1787. In 1813 
an act of Congress recoajnized the bounda- 
ry as claimed by Ohio, and this was sur- 
veyed by authority in 1816. With the 
movement to place Michigan on the foot- 
ing of an independent State, the boundary 
question came up with renewed force. 
Ohio ordered the re-survey of the line, and 
Michigan prepared to resist. A party of 
surveyors were actually attacked and driv- 
en off by a^Jiissj comUatus, and subsequent- 
ly acting-Governor Mason placed himself 
at the head of the militia of the Territory 
and marched down to the disputed ground 
with intent to enforce the claims of Michi- 
gan. Finding no enemy, the troops were 
soon disbanded. Two commissioners were 
then appointed by the. President to arbi- 
trate, if possible, the difference, but this also 
was unsuccessful. Finally Michigan was 
induced to yield the disputed ground — a 
strip about 15 miles wide — upon receiving 
instead all that part of the upper peninsu- 
la west of a line drawn through the center 
of lake Michigan and extended northerly 
till it reaches lake Superior, which line 
had been the former boundary on the north- 
west. It was thus that Michigan acquired 
the rich mineral lands of lake Superior, all 
of which would, but for this compromise, 
have fallen to Wisconsin. 

ADMISSION AS A STATE. 

In 1834 a census was taken of the 
whit3 population of the Territory, which 
was found to number 87,373 souls. As 
this exceeded by 37,000 the popula- 
tion necessary to entitle it to a State 
government, steps were at once taken 
looking to the attainment of that end. 
January 36, 1835, the Council passed an 
act authorizmg a convention to frame a 
constitution. This convention consisted 
of 89 delegates, elected April 4th. It met in 
Detroit on the second Monday in May, 
and completed its labors June 24th. The 
dispute with Ohio operated as a bar to the 
admission of the State by Congress, and a 
whole year was spent in fruitless solicita- 
tion. InMay, 183G, Wisconsin was set off as 



HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 



a separate Territory, and on June 15th an 
act of Congress was passed admitting 
Michigan upoa condition of her accepting 
the boundary line claimed by Ohio. A 
special session of the Legislature was 
called for July 11th, and on the 20th an act 
was approved for a second convention. 
This met September 2Gth, at Ann Arbor, 
and by it the proposal of Congress was re- 
jected by a vote of 28 to 21. A strong 
party still favoring acceptance, an effort 
was made to induce the Governor to 
call another convention, which of course 
be declined to do. Mass conventions were 
then held in Detroit and elsewhere through 
the State, and an organization effected 
by which a circular was issued November 
14th, calling on the electors of the State to 
meet December Gth and choose delegates to 
a third convention to meet at Ann Arbor 
December 14th. This convention met, and 
being composed almost wholly of those 
favoring admission, voted on the 15th, 
unanimously, to accept the terms indicated 
by Congress, protesting at the same time, 
however, against the right of Congress to 
impose the condition. The result was 
immediately forwarded to Washington, 
and on January 26th 1837, an act was 
approved by the President asserting that 
the people of Michigan had accepted the 
terms, and declaring Michigan " to be one 
of the United States, and admitted into the 
Union on an equal footing with the original 
States in all respects whatever." 

THE PATRIOT WAR. 

The so-called Patriot war was a rising in 
the Canadas in 1837, with the purpose of 
establishing a republican form of govern- 
ment in those provinces. The movement 
extended from Quebec to Windsor, and 
was conducted with great energy and de- 
termination, but like such movements 
generally, failed, very largely from lack of 
concert of action. The Canadian govern- 
ment acted with great promptness and 
decision in suppression of the rebellion, 
and visited on the unfortunate patriots 
the most swift and severe • retribution. 
Numerous sharp engagements took place, 
in which no quarter was given to the 
rebels, and in one month, it is stated, 500 



houses were burnt and $1,000,000 worth of 
private property destroyed by the govern- 
ment troops. As the patriots became 
worsted they naturally took refuge on 
American soil, where they had the sympa- 
thies of the majority of the people. In this 
way Detroit and other points on the fron- 
tier became important bases of operations 
to the patriots, and to some extent Ameri- 
can citizens became identified with the 
movement. The United Slates govern- 
ment of course remained neutral, and to 
prevent any breach of neutrality on the 
border, Gen. Scott took the field. In this 
quarter Gen. Brady commanded the United 
States forces, and exerted himself to the 
utmost to prevent any aid being given to 
the insurgents. The contest lasted for a 
little over a year, one^of the closing scenes 
being the crossing of a party of 164 patri- 
ots from Detroit, December 4, 1838, the 
capture of the barracks at Windsor, and 
the marching thence to Sandwich, where 
was encountered a greatly superior force 
of government troops, by whom the patriot 
forces were completely cut t'j pieces and 
some 13 prisoners shot in cold blood after 
the close of the engagement. One Ameri- 
can citizen who participated in the fight 
was made prisoner and transported for a 
term of years. 

THE BANKING PERIOD. 

As stated above the first bank ever es- 
tablished in Michigan was the Bank of 
Michigan, established in 1818. From that 
period down to 1837, 15 banks were char- 
tered in different sections of the State, the 
aggregate capital of which in the latter 
year was $7,000,000. In 1837 the Legisla- 
ture established a free banking system, 
under which banks might be started ad 
libitum, circulating notes being permitted 
to be issued to an amount equal to twice 
and a half the paid up capital. The direc- 
tors and stockholders were made Individ, 
ually liable for the debts of the bank, and 
the stockholders were further required to 
deposit with the Auditor General mortgages 
on real estate equal to the amount of author- 
ized indebtedness of the bank. The mania 
for the establishment of banks under this 
law was unparalleled. In less than eight 



HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 



months 4o new banks had gone into ope- 
ration under it, with an aggregate nominal 
capital of $3,115,000, and then the mania 
was only checked by the suspension of the 
law. The effect ol the existence of (X) 
banks, with a combined capital of over ten 
millions, in a new Slate like Michigan, with 
a population of less than 90,000, may be 
easily imagined. Currency became the 
cheapest and most plentiful commodity 
in the market, the purchasing value of the 
Michigan bank notes sunk very low, and 
gauged by them persons of very moderate 
means could easily fancy themselves very 
rich. Speculation naturally was engen- 
dered, and for a time ran wild. Then came 
the crash, with all the usually attending 
calamity and ruin. Some years elapsed 
before the State recovered from the infla- 
tion and collapse, and then only to run 
into the opposite extreme of practically 
prohibiting banks altogether. Twenty 
years after the free-banking period of 1838, 
when the population of the State had in- 
creased to 750,000, the entire incorporated 
bank capital of Michigan was scarcely five 
per cent of what it was at the earlier date, 
and even now it is far less than the busi- 
ness of the Slate requires, though greatly 
improved since the establishment of the 
National banking system. 

THE ERA OF INTERNAL, IMPROVEMENT. 

Towards the close of her territorial peri- 
o .1 of existence, the general government con- 
structed in Michigan five important turn- 
pike roads. These were the Detroit and 
Pcrrysburg road, leading from Detroit to 
Ptrrysburg on the Maumee; the Chicago 
road, extending from Detroit through Yp- 
silanti, Clinton, Saline, Jonesville, Cold- 
water, White Pigeon, Mottville, Adamsville 
and Bertrand to Chicago ; the Grand River 
road, extending from Detroit through 
Howell to some point on Grand river ; the 
Saginaw road, intersecting Pontiac and 
Flint, and the Fort Gratiot road, passing, 
through Mt. Clemens to Fort Gratiot. 
These were all six rods wido. 

The first railroad chartered, was the 
Central, or Detroit & St. Joseph, in 1831. 
The company had expended about $117,- 
000 upon it, and had it nearly graded be- 



tween Detroit and Ypsilanti, when, in 1837, 
it was purchased by the State. In 1838 iti 
rolling stock consisted of 4 locomotives, 5 
passenger cars and 10 freight cars. 

The next road chartered was the Erie & 
Kalamazoo. It was laid out to run from 
Toledo, through Adrian, to Marshall or 
some other place on the Kalamazoo river. 
It was completed to Adrian in October 
1836, but never extended further, and now 
constitutes the Toledo division of the L. 
S. & M. S. R. R. 

The Detroit & Pontiac road followed, 
being chartered in 1834. Four years later 
it had been completed to Royal Oak, and 
at that stage, receiving a loan from the 
State of $100,000, was so^n after extended 
to Pontiac. 

In the same year was chartered the 
Shelby & Detroit railroad. It extended 
to Utica, Macomb county, was 20 miles in 
length, and was finished in 1838 or 183!). 
It followed the route of the present Detroit 
& Bay City R. R., and, like all the other 
railroads of that day, was constructed with 
strap rail and was operated by horse pow- 
er. With the rotting out of the super- 
structure the road was abandoned. 

The Allegan & Marshall road was char- 
tered in 183G. It was to connect the vil- 
lages of Marshall and Allegan, its route 
between Marshall and Kalamazoo being 
identical with that of the present Michigan 
Central. $100,000 was loaned to this com- 
pany by the Slate, and some work was 
done upon the line, but no part appears to 
have been completed. 

In the same year the River Raisin & 
Lake Erie road was chartered, to com- 
mence at La Plaisance bay on lake Erie, 
and extend [through Monroe to Blissfield 
on the Erie & Kalamazoo road. It was 
partly completed and subsequently became 
a portion of the Michigan Southern. 

In 1833, too, was chartered the Palmyra 
& Jacksonburg railroad. It passed through 
Tecuinseh, Clinton and Manchester to 
Jackson, and 12 miles at the southern end 
of the line was immediately built. This is 
now the Jackson branch of the L. S. & M- 
S. R. R. 

Besides these railroads, a number of oth- 



HISTORY OF MiCniGAN. 



ers were chartered between 1833 and 1838, 
no portion of any of which was ever built. 
A list of these may be of interest : 
1833. Romeo & Mt. Clemens. 

1835. Macomb & Saginaw. 
" Detroit & Maumce. 

" River Raisin & Grand River. 

1836. Monroe & Ypsilanti. 
" St. Clair & Romeo. 

" Kalamazoo & Lalce Michigan. 

Shelby & Belle River. 
" Monroe & Ann Arbor. 
" Clinton & Adrian. 
" Constantine & Niles. 

1837. Detroit & Shiawassee. 
" Saginaw & Genesee. 

" Gil)raltar & Clinton. 
1833. Auburn & Lapeer. 
" Ypsilanti & Tecumseh. 
" Mottville & White Pigeon. 
" Medina & Canandaigua. 

In March, 1837, the Legislature appoint- 
ed a "Board of Commissioners on Internal 
Improvement," to which Board was given 
authority to construct three several rail- 
ways across the State, to be iinown respec- 
tively as the Southern, the Central and the 
Northern, also three canals. The South- 
ern railroad was to extend from Monroe 
through the southern tier of counties to 
New Buffalo ; the Central was to run from 
Detroit through Ypsilanti, Jackson, Mar- 
shall and Kalamazoo to St. Joseph, and 
the Northern, starting from Port Huron) 
took in Lapeer, Flint, Owosso, Lyons and 
Grand Rapids, and made Grand Haven its 
terminus. The board were also authorized 
to purchase any existing roads whose in. 
terests might be infringed upon by the 
construction of the State lines. The three 
canals were the St. Mary's Ship canal ; the 
Clin ton & Kalamazoo canal, extending from 
Mt. Clemens across the State to the mouth 
of the Kalamazoo river, and the Saginaw, 
or Northern, canal which was to connect 
Bad river, a branch of the Saginaw, with 
Maple, a branch of the Grand, and thus es- 
tablish water communication between Sagi- 
naw and Grand Haven. The estimated 
length and cost of these several works, was 
as follows : 

Length. Cost. 

Southern Railroad 183 miles $1.4!)0.3T6 

Central Railroad lit! '• l.!i-28.195 

Northern Railroad.'. ]fi7 " l,.3l0.3(il 

Satjinaw Canal 53 " 2.38,240 

Clinton & Kalamazoo Canal 216 " 3,250,000 



St. Mary's Canal 4500 feet $112,540 

Improvement of Grand River 90 miles 67.309 

Improvement of Kalamazoo 75 " ^25,624 

Improvement of St. Joseph 116 " 183,434 

The first board consisted of L. B. Miz- 
ner of Wayne, Levi S. Humphrey of Mon- 
roe, James B. Hunt of Oakland, William 
A. Burt of Macomb, Edwin H. Lothrop of 
Kalamazoo, Hiram Alden of Branch and 
Rix Robinson of Kent. The funds for the 
prosecution of the projected works were to 
be derived from three sources, viz : Any 
surplus of State revenue, five percent of all 
proceeds from sale of State lands, and a six 
per cent loan, redeemable in 25 years, and 
not to exceed five millions of dollars in 
amount. The profits arising from all these 
public works were to constitute a sinking 
fund for the repayment of the loan. 

The first step of the board was to pur- 
chase the Detroit & St. Joseph R. R., no 
part of which was in operation, though 
considerable work had been done between 
Detroit and Ypsilanti. To this place it 
was opened for traffic Febuary 3, 1338. 
Surveys on all the other works were in 
1837 completed, and 30 miles of the South- 
ern road put under contract. The total 
expenditures this year were -$415,618. 

Meanwhile the Governor, who had been 
empowered by the Legislature to negotiate 
the $5,000,000 loan, had closed a contract 
with the ]\lorris Canal and Banking com- 
pany of New Jersey, by which they took 
the entire amount of the bonds and agreed 
to pay for the Eame,about one quarter down 
and the balance in quarterly instalments 
of $250,000 each, the bonds to be delivered 
at once. Three millions of these bonds 
they immediately turned over to the Bank 
Of the United States, by which they were 
hypothecated largely in Europe. Great 
complaint seems to have been made at 
home of the Governor's recklessness in 
thus hastily closing so large a transaction, 
and in his parting with the bonds without 
receiving proper security for the payment. 
Nor was Ihs complaint without just 
grounds, for in 181:0, when there was still 
$2,158,037 due from the purchasers, it 
came to light that both banks were insol- 
vent. For some time the financial condi- 
tion of the State was most critical, but in 



HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 



1843 the Legislature passed an act author- 
ising the issue of new bonds for the amount 
that had been actually received by the 
State, the same to be delivered upon the sur- 
render of the entire amount of outstanding 
bonds, or pro rata for any portion that might 
be surrendered. In this way the entire 
$5;000,000, except about $50,000, was grad- 
ually retired, and the bonds given m lieu 
thereof were duly paid in 1863. 

In 1838, $530,493 was expended on the 
Internal Improvment works, and consid- 
erable surveying and clearing was done, be. 
sides the completion of the Central railroad 
to Tpsilanti. In 1839 the expenditure was 
$693,883. The Central road was opened 
to Ann Arbor and the Southcra to Peters- 
burgh. An attempt to commence work 
on the Sault canal was defeated by a col- 
lision between the contractors and the 
United States officials at Fort Brady. 

In 1840 the Governor in his message to 
the Legislature deplored the Internal Im- 
provement scheme, and recommended the 
suspension of further work, except where 
necessary to complete and utilize what had 
already been commenced. This year 
$463,816 was expended, the Central road 
being brought to within four miles of Dex- 
ter, the Southern opened to Adrian, and a 
heavy amount of work being done upon 
the Clinton & Kalamazoo canal between 
Mt. Clemens and Rochester. In 1841 there 
was expended $419,139. The Central was 
opened to Dexter, July 4th, and was imme- 
diately pushed on to Jackson. The South- 
ern had not got beyond Adrian. The 
Northern railroad, upon which considerable 
clearing and grading had been done, was 
this year ordered by the Legislature to be 
completed as a wagon road. 

January 1, 1842, the Central was opened 
to Jackson. The Southern was during this 
year made ready for the iron as far as 
Hdlsdale, but the credit of the State was 
not at that time good enougb to enable it 
to buy iron on credit, and cash it had none. 
Sixteen miles of the Clinton & Kalamazoo 
canal were completed at a cost of $333,330, 
but it had tot yet been brought into use. 
The Legislature in January 1813 by reso- 
lution forbade the letting of any further 



contracts on the public works, but provis- 
ion was made for extending the Central 
and Southern railroads. The year 1843 
saw the latter opened to Hillsdale. The 
expenditures in 1842 were $170,545, and 
in 1843 $100,416. In 1844 the Central 
road was opened to Marshall and graded 
to Kalamazoo. The Southern was this year 
re-built between Monroe and Adrian, the 
superstructure having rotted out, and the 
Palmyra & Jacksouburg road was pur- 
chased by the State for $22,000. This 
latter road had been prepared for the iron 
from Palmyra to Tecumseh, but had been 
allowed to go to decay without ever being 
put in fall operation. The Central railroad 
was now earning from year to year a moder- 
ate profit over expenses, the Southern road 
a very trifling amount, if anything, and 
none of the other public works were at 
all productive. In 1845 the Central was 
finished to Battle Creek and some progress 
made with the reconstruction of the Te- 
cumseh branch of the Southern. The ex- 
pensivcness of keeping strap-rail roads in 
repair had by this time been found to be a 
serious drawback to the productiveness 
of railroad property, and the commission- 
ers in their report for this year suggested 
the importance of immediately reconstruc- 
ting both roads with "T" rail, and recom. 
mended as the only feasible method of 
securing the acco:nplishment of this enter- 
prise, the sale of the roads to some respon- 
sible company. In this year the naviga- 
tion of the Clinton & Kalamazoo canal 
was inaugurated by a small boat of '20 
tons burthen. 

On February 1, 1816, the Central road ^ 
was completed to Kalamazoo ; on the 2M. \ 
of September its sale to the Michigan Cen- 
tral Railroad Company was perfected, the 
purchase price being $2,000,000 and the 
payments being made in bonds and other 
State indebtedness. One month later the 
sale of the Southern road to the Michigan 
Southern Railroad Company was con- 
summated by the payment of the first in- 
stalment of the purchase price, which had 
been fixed at $500,000, payable also in 
State indebtedness within 10 years. By 
these sales the State debt was grsatly 



III8T0RY OF MICIIIGAX. 



diminished and the two roads placed in 
the hands of strong and enterprising com- 
panies, by whom they were speedily com- 
pleted and under whom they have since 
achifved reputations for admirable man- 
agement second to those ot no other rail- 
roads in the country. 

The canal still remained to the State. 
This was in 1846 put in navigable order be- 
tween Mt. Clemens and Utica, but only $43 
was received in tolls. The following year 
further repairs were made and an ineffec- 
tual effort made to lease the work. From 
this time it appears to have been wholly 
neglected by the State. Between Rochester 
and Utica it has since been utilized for 
water-power purposes, but below Utica 
it has been allowed to go wholly to decay. 

GOVERNORS OF THE STATE. 

The following is a list of the several 
Governors who have served from the ad- j 
mission of the State, into the Union down 
to the present time : 

Inaugurated. Ketired. 

StCTens T. M:»8on, Oct. 1835 Jan. 18-10 

William Woodbridge,.. .Jan. 1840 Feb. 1841» 

J Wright Gordon,!.... Feb. 1841 Jan. 1842 

John S. Barry, Jan. 1842 Jan 1846 

Alpheus Felch, Jan. 1846 Mar. 1847^ 

William S.Greenly,§... Mar. 1847 Jan. 1848 

EpaphroditusKansom,. Jan. 1848 Jan. 1850 

John S. Barry, Jan. 1850 Jan. 1852 

Robert McClelland,.... Jan. 18.52 Mar. 1853** 

Andrew Parsons, Mar. 1853 Jan. 1855 

Kinsley S. Bingham, ... Jan. 1855 Jan. 1859 

Moses Wisner, Jan. 1859 Jan. 1861 

Austin Blair, Jan. 1861 Jan. 1865 

Henry H. Crapo, Jan. 1865 Jan. 1869 

Henry P. Baldwin, Jan. 1869 Jan. 1873 

John J. Bagley, Jan. 1873 

* Resigned upon beinsr elected to Congress. 
t Lieutenant Governor, acting as Governor. 
t Resigned on being elected U. S. Senator. 
§ Lieutenant Governor, acting as Governor. 

* * Resigned upon being appointed Secretary of 

the Interior. 

DISCOVERIES OX L.\KE SUPERIOR. 

In 1845 the value of the iron deposits 
in the upper peninsula was fully discovered, 
and miniug operations were fairly inau- 
gurated the following year, though it was 
not until 1856 that operations were prose- 
cuted upon at all an extensive scale. 

In 1845, also, the copper wealth of lake 
Superior was first brought into notice, and 
immediately was followed by an intense 
rage for speculation. It was not however 
until after the completion of theSault canal 
that mining operations began to be con- 
ducted in an economical and systematic 



manner, and that the product became a 
source of wealth to the State. 

REMOVAL OF THE CAPITAL. 

The constitution of 1836, provided that 
the seat of government should be estab. 
lished at Detroit till 1847, when it should 
be permanently located by the Legislature. 
Accordingly, in his message to that body, 
January 4, 1847, Gov. Felch called atten- 
tion to this requirement. In the course of 
the session an attempt was made to estab- 
lish the location, but there were so many 
rival interests,— Ann Arbor, Jackson, 
Marshall, Kalamazoo, and several other 
places being candidates for the honor — 
that it was found impossible to combine a 
sufficient number of votes on any one 
place to settle the question in its favor. 
Afier much tedious " log-rolling," and 
earnest debate, the members became thor- 
oughly tired ot the subject, so, when a 
proposition was submitted for the location 
of the capital on the school section ot the 
extreme northwestern township of Ingham 
county (the present site of Lansing), which 
was known to be an unbroken wilderness, 
without even a good wagon road lead- 
ing to it, the absurdity of the thing so 
disarmed serious opposition that the meas- 
ure was carried in triumph. After the ex- 
perience of the past, the advocates of no 
other place dared permit the matter just 
then to be re-opened, and so all motions 
to reconsider were voted down. It was 
then agreed that the very next session of the 
Legislature should be held at the new cap- 
ital, the hope being so to increase the mud- 
dle that the members would in sheer dis- 
gust waive their preferences and unite en 
some availaVile point. Commissioners, 
however were appointed to prepare accom- 
modations for the Government at the newly 
selected location, and the Legislature ad- 
journed. 

At the location selected there was at 
that time scarcely a house standing, and 
almost the entire site of the present city 
was covered with a dense growth of timber. 
But nothing daunted, the commissioners 
set to work cutting roads, dealing street* 
and squares, and erecting buildings. 
Lumber was hauled foi finishing purposes 



10 



HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 



all the way from Flint in wagons, yet in 
the face of all these difficulties, before the 
year had expired the State House still iu 
use had been erected, and soaiewhat ade- 
quate provision had been made for lodging 
the members of the Legislature which were 
to meet in January 1848. The new village 
was at first called Michigan, and the town 
in which it is located Lansing, the latter 
being named by one of the early settlers 
after Lansing, N. Y. Ere long the village 
also began to be called Lansing, and its 
more pretentious name was ultimately 
dropped. So rapid was its subsequent 
growth and so admirable has the location 
proved, that all idea ot a further change of 
the capital has long since been abandoned. 
1850 TO 1800. 
In 1850 a convention sat in Lansing for 
the framing of a new constitution — the 
same upon which the State government is 
now based. 

The year 1851 was marked by the great 
railroad conspiracy trials in Michigan. A 
series of lawless acts had been committed 
at Michigan Center and Leoni in Jackson 
county, on the property of the Michigan 
Central Railroad Company, in retaliation 
tor real or fancied grievances endured by 
residents along the line of the railroad. 
These acts of vengeance culminated in the 
burning of the depot buildings in Detroit. 
Some 50 persons were arrested and 
brought to trial, Hon. Wm. H. Seward 
appearing for the defence. The trial 
lasted four months, being one of the long- 
est jury trials on record. Two of the de- 
fendants died during its progress, 12 were 
convicted and the remainder acquitted. 

In 1852 Congress granted to the State 
750,000 acre^ of land for the purpose of 
constructing a canal around the rapids on 
the St. Mary's river. A company was 
found who were willing to construct the 
canal for the lands, and after two years of 
energetic labor the work was completed 
and formally accepted by the State in May 
1855. 

July 6, 1854, met at Jackson the famous 
convention which inaugurated the great 
Republican party, which has controlled the 
aflFairs ot the nation for the past 12 years. 



The old Whig party had become very 
much disorganized after the defeat of Gen. 
Scott in 1852, and the Free Soil party was 
daily increasing in strength. The one 
possessed respectability, the other prin- 
ciple — neither, strength enough to give it 
any influence in the national councils. 
Each party had in Michigan nominated a 
state ticket, but up to this period the State 
was hopelessly Democratic. A movement 
to fuse the Whia: and Free Soil parties was 
undertaken, and on July 6th, as above 
stated, a mass convention assembled, at 
which both Whig and Free S jil tickets 
were withdrawn and a Republican ticket 
made up by selection from both. A plat- 
form was also adopted, which became a 
basis for similar action in other States, and 
the name "Republican" was definitively 
settled upon as the name of the new party. 
Two years later the Republican party 
made a presidential nomination, and in 
six years swept the country in the election 
of Abraham Lincoln. 

In 1854 the Great Western Railway of 
Canada was completed to Detroit, and in 
1858 the Grand Trunk. In 1856 Congress 
made a grant of alternate sections lying 
within six miles on either side of certain 
railroad routes to aid in the construction 
of such roads. Nine different roads partici- 
pated in this land grant, four being in the 
upper peninsula. The other principal 
lines were the Grand Rapids and Indiana, 
extending from Sturgis northward through 
Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids to Macki- 
nac ; the Amboy, Lansing & Traverse Bay, 
extending from Amboy in the southern 
part of Hillsdale county through Jonesville,, 
Albion, Lansing, Owosso and Saginaw 
City to Traverse City; the Flint & Pere 
^larquette extending from Flint through 
East Saginaw to the mouth of the Pere 
Marquette river in Mason county ; the 
Detroit & Milwaukee, and the Port Huron 
& Milwaukee roads. The Amboy, Lansing 
& Traverse Bay road was immediately 
constructed between Lansing and Owosso, 
when it became bankrupt and its franxihises 
subsequently fell into the hands of the 
Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw Railroad 
Company. The Flint & Pere Marquette 



HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 



11 



road was built from Flint to East Saginaw, 
and has latterly been extended northward 
nearly across the State and southward 
to Monroe. The Grand Rapids & Indiana 
road dragged along very slowly for some 
years, but has now fallen into the hands of 
capitalists who are rapidly completing it 
as at first projected. 

In 1858 the Detroit & Milwaukee rail- 
roai was completed to Grand Haven, run- 
ning from Corunua westward about on 
the projected line of the old Northern rail- 
road. This road is simply an extension of 
the old Detroit & Pontiac railroad to lake 
Michigan. 

While the existence of salt in this State 
had been known from an early day, no 
effort, had been made to manufacture that 
article until 1859, when the Legislature 
passing: an act offering a bounty of 10 cents 
per bushel, operations were at once 
commenced at Grand Rapids and East 
Saginaw. At the former place but little 
success attended the experiment, but on the 
Saginaw river the salt business has grown 
to immense proportions and become 
second only the lumber interest in 
importance. 

MICHIGAN DUUINC; THE REBELLION. 

In the late war of the rebellion Michigan 
achieved for herself a glorious record. 
She sent to the field one regiment of engin- 
eers and mechanics, 11 regiments and three 
independent companies of cavalry, 14 
batteries of artillery, 31 regiments of in- 
fantry,and five companies of sharp shooters, 
numbering in all 00,7-17 men. Of these 
4,175 were killed in action or died of 
wounds, and 9,230 died of disease while in 
service. From the beginning to the close 



of the war the Michigan troops bore the 
reputation of being among the bravest 
and best disciplined in the army, and 
there were very few of the more important 
engagements where Michigan was not 
represented, and where her regiments 
were not conspicuous for the efficient aid 
they rendered. 

Among the officers from this State who 
particularly distinguished themselves dur- 
ing the war may be mentioned Col. C. O. 
Loomis, who was probably the best artillery 
officer in the service ; Gen. Custer and Col. 
R. H. G. Minty, both dashing cavalry offi- 
cers ; Gen. A. S. Williams, who command- 
ed a corps under Sherman ; Gen O. B. Will- 
cox, Col. J. C. Robinson, Col. I. B. 
Richardson, Col. H. S. Roberts, Maj. J. D. 
Fairbanks, Col. John Pulford, Col. Prit- 
chard, Col. W. L. Stoughton, and others. 

MICHIGAN IN 1870. 
The census of 1870 indicated a popula- 
tion in Michigan of 1,184,059. The finan- 
cial interests of the State were never in a 
healthier condition. Never before was the 
State developing so rapidly. An immense 
impulse was given to the building of rail- 
roads by a law passed in 18G9 authorizing 
towns and counties to loan or donate aid 
j to roads passing through them. New rail- 
j roads were projected in every direction, 
and though the aid law was afterwards de- 
clared unconstitutional, yet the intense 
competition that subsists between three or 
four of the great railway corporations, pre- 
vents a collapse and ensures the construc- 
tion of every reasonable line. Thus it is 
that the railroad mileage in Michigan has 
increased within a few years to over 3,100 
miles. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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